Chapter 267 Preparing for Weapon Forging (Happy New Year)

Shen Wen sat cross-legged in the Quiet Room, his fingertips gently brushing over the body of the cauldron, his eyes filled with emotion.

The so-called Artifact Refining on the Fighting Qi Continent nowadays...

...was nothing more than melting Materials, casting them into the shape of blades and swords, and then embedding a few Monster Cores to increase their elemental power.

Crude and simple; compared to this heaven burning cauldron, it was practically children playing with mud.

To even call it Artifact Refining was an insult to the term.

He closed his eyes, his Soul Power probing into the cauldron's body, meticulously sensing every detail of the runic arrays.

With his current Soul Realm, combined with the keen perception brought by the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, those originally obscure and difficult runes gradually became clear in his eyes.

The Fire Gathering Formation's purpose was to maximize the concentration of flame heat and reduce energy loss.

The Pressure Stabilization Formation was used to balance the internal pressure of the cauldron, preventing it from exploding.

The Impact Resistance Formation dispersed the force of Pill Lightning strikes, protecting the cauldron's body from damage.

Each Formation, when taken individually, was incredibly exquisite. Combined together, they were interlinked and mutually reinforcing, making them even more profound.

Shen Wen was immersed in it, sitting for most of the day.

It wasn't until the sky grew dark that he opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid Qi.

"Wonderful..."

He murmured softly, his eyes flashing with excitement.

This Yuqing Artifact Refining Method truly opened a door to a new world. If he could master it completely, let alone mimicking the heaven burning cauldron, even refining more powerful artifacts would not be impossible.

Only... Shen Wen looked at his empty storage ring, then at the ancient and heavy heaven burning cauldron before him, and sighed slightly.

Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice.

Mimicking the heaven burning cauldron required a large amount of rare metallic Materials. meteorite iron, mysterious bronze, star steel, earth core rock... not a single one could be missing.

These Materials were rare to begin with, and gathering them all would surely cost a fortune.

More importantly, he had to practice first.

No matter how exquisite the Yuqing Artifact Refining Method was, it was still just theory on paper. Actual refining required a lot of practice to master.

Without enough Materials for practice, attempting to mimic the heaven burning cauldron directly would most likely end in failure.

"Ying'er."

Shen Wen stood up, left the Quiet Room, and went to the front hall.

Cao Ying was sitting at a desk flipping through account books. Hearing him, she looked up: "What is it?"

Shen Wen sat down opposite her and got straight to the point: "Help me collect a batch of Materials."

He took out a piece of paper from his storage ring, which listed dozens of metallic Materials and their approximate quantities in dense detail.

"These are for Artifact Refining; the purer the better, and the more the better. Use the Cao Clan's channels if possible; if not enough, then buy them from outside."

Cao Ying took the paper, her eyes scanning it, and her eyebrows rose slightly.

She didn't know Shen Wen could do Artifact Refining, and that profession had long since disappeared; the many pill cauldrons today were proof that Artifact Refining once existed.

But now, no new pill cauldrons had appeared for a long time.

"meteorite iron, mysterious bronze, star steel... none of these are cheap. What are you refining?"

Shen Wen smiled: "Just practicing."

Cao Ying glanced at him and didn't ask more, only nodding: "Alright, I'll have someone handle it."

She paused, then added: "You already have access to the Cao Clan's material warehouse. I'll send word back tomorrow to have them send the stock over first."

Shen Wen nodded and was about to speak when Cao Ying suddenly spoke up:

"By the way, why hasn't your Alchemy improved lately?"

Shen Wen was taken aback.

Cao Ying looked at him, her gaze probing: "I heard from the Disciples over at Old Ancestor Lin's place that you've been going there less often lately."

Even when you do go, you only ask about basic things and haven't progressed further."

Shen Wen remained silent for a moment.

Cao Ying was right.

During this period, he indeed hadn't made many Breakthroughs in Alchemy.

It wasn't laziness, but... he was stuck.

Going from the eighth tier to the ninth tier required not just talent and hard work, but also a deep foundation.

Below the eighth tier, what was tested was control over medicinal ingredients, flames, and techniques. These things could be compensated for with talent and diligence.

But at the Peak of the eighth tier, moving further up meant being tested on one's understanding of the Dao of Alchemy and perception of the rules of Heaven and Earth.

These things required time to settle and a vast accumulation of experience; they couldn't be rushed.

With the Future Non-Existence Sutra for deduction and the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart to accelerate assimilation, he was already countless times faster than ordinary people.

But fast as he was, he couldn't reach the heavens in a single step after all.

Foundation was like brewing wine; if the timing wasn't right, it just wasn't right.

"I understand." Shen Wen leaned against the back of the chair. "There's no use rushing; I'll take it slow."

Cao Ying looked at him, a trace of softness flashing in her eyes.

Knowing that Shen Wen knew what he was doing, she didn't advise him further, only nodding: "Just handle it yourself."

She paused, suddenly remembering something: "By the way, how is your deduction of the zun ji pill going?"

The zun ji pill.

This was what they cared about most.

The zong ji pill could allow a Dou Zong to increase by one star, which had already made him famous in the Pill Tower.

And the zun ji pill was a Medicinal Pill that could allow a Dou Zun to increase by one star.

One star.

It didn't sound like much.

But for a Dou Zun, a one-star gap could mean ten or even dozens of years of hard work.

If he could refine this pill, what would it mean?

It meant he could mass-produce high-level Dou Zuns.

Those few Dou Zuns from Ice River Valley who had been converted could advance their cultivation further after taking the zun ji pill.

Heavenly Frost Son would go from one star to two stars, and Bing He from four stars to five stars; their combat power would directly double.

It meant he could offer olive branches to those Loose Cultivator Dou Zuns.

One zun ji pill in exchange for a Dou Zun's loyalty for ten years—people would be scrambling for it.

It meant his core team would see a qualitative leap.

"Still deducing," Shen Wen said. "I have a preliminary concept for the Pill Formula, but there are a few key points I haven't cleared yet."

"Mainly, the medicinal powers tend to conflict during Fusion; I need to find a gentler method of reconciliation."

He paused, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes: "But it's close. Give me a few more months, and it should be done."

Cao Ying nodded and didn't ask further.

She knew that since Shen Wen said it was "close," then it really was.

Cao Ying left, and Shen Wen had to put controlling the Gold-Devouring Rat clan on his schedule.

Besides intelligence, the Gold-Devouring Rats' ability to find special metals was also something he needed.

Although they were earning a lot now, they were also consuming it quickly. As his power grew larger, the rate of resource consumption would only increase.

Even with the support of the Cao Clan, Ice River Valley, and their own Alchemists, it wasn't enough.

After all, he would eventually have to face the Hun Clan.

The Gold-Devouring Rats' ability could provide him with another source of resources, specifically the metal resources he urgently needed now.

After dealing with Cao Xiu, he would head there directly.

Shen Wen set his thoughts aside and went to Xiao Yi Xian's room. Xiao Yi Xian was originally pondering how to Breakthrough to Dou Zong when she saw Shen Wen come in.

Before she could ask Shen Wen what was wrong, she saw Shen Wen pick her up without a word and throw her onto the bed.

"Mph!" Xiao Yi Xian let out a startled cry.

Nothing more was said that night.